Musical instrument



um; 10,1930. I M. L. JONES 1,763,526

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT iiled'Dec. 10. 1928 v 3 Sheets-Sheet l June 10, 1930. M. L. JONES 1,763,526

MUS ICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 10. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 10, 1930, M. L. JONES 1,763,526

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 10. 1928 5 Sheets-She et 3 Patented June 10, 1930- UNITED STATES MURV'IN L. JONES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOR TO J. C. DEAGAN, INC., OF CHI- CAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Application filed December 10, 1928.

My invention relates to musical instruments that are inclusive of horizontal rows of vibrant horizontal bars each adapted, when set into vibration, to produce a tone of a musical scale differing from the tones produced by the others.

The invention has for its object the avoidance of undesired intermingling of successively produced tones. I achieve this result by means of a unitary sound dampencr that is normally applied to all of the bars. This dampener is equipped with means, such as a pedal, whereby it may be moved out of en agement with all of the bars. By suitabFy controlling the dampener successively produced tones may be permitted to mingle or be prevented from mingling according to the musical effect desired.

My invention is of particular service in connection with those instruments, of the class described, which employ constantly operating air beating fan blades in the resonating tubes that are disposed below the sounding bars. These blades or fans serve to produce rhythmic pulsations which would be materially marred if sufiicient means were not provided for preventing the undesired mingling of successive reproduced musical tones of the same or differing pitch.

My present invention is another embodiment of the invention broadly claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 319,- 919 filed November 16, 1928. The structure illustrated in the prior application was inclusive of a bar arranged along the row of sound producing bars and which carried a pad of felt normally engaging said bars.

Rods depended from this bar and were con-' nected by another bar. The latter bar was pedal operated to depress the rods and sound dampener against the force of the springs which normally applied the sound dampener. The device of my present invention is a simplification of this construction. In the present device the sound dampener is linked to the frame of the instrument by means of arms that are pivoted upon this frame and the pedal is linked directly to the sound dampener to be directly depressed thereby against the force of the spring means that Serial No. 324,976.

normally apply the sound dampener to the sound producing bars. The linkage that connects the pedal with the sound dampener is preferably exclusive of the arms that link the sound dampener to the frame. I

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of an instrument constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, parts being broken away; and Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views taken respectively on lines 2-2, 3-3 and H of Fig. 1, on a larger scale.

The instrument shown is of a Xylophone type, the sound bars 1 being preferably of metal rather than of wood. These bars are usually arranged in two banks as illustrated in Fig. 1 and are of such proportions as to produce tones of the chromatic scale when they are set into vibration. The bars are usually threaded upon strings 2 which are anchored at their ends to posts 3. These posts are carried upon suitable framework 4 and are preferably provided with open slots into which the ends of the string may be downwardly passed. The string ends are knotted as indicated at 5 to hold them in assembly with the posts Other frames 6 are disposed below the bars and carry the upright resonating tubes 7 whose axes are aligned with the geometrical centers of the bars, respectively. Each row of resonators is associated with a horizontal shaft 8 which passes through the upper ends of the resonators and upon which the air beating fan blades 9 are rigidly secured. An electric motor 10 drives the shafts 8 through the intermediation of suitable gearing 11 and belting 12, this belting passing over suitable pulleys 13 of which some are fixed upon said shafts. When the instrument is being played the motor is in constant operation to constantly operate the blades so that when any resonator is reverberating the sound produced by the bar above it the reverberation has a rythmic pulsation. Successively produced pulsating tones would frequently merge to produce unpleasant sounds if means were not provided for checking the vibrations of the bars as desired. In accordance with my invention I have provided each horizontal row of vibrant horizontal bars with a unitary sound dampener which normally engages all the bars in such row and whose removal from the bars is required in order that the bars may be set into vibration. This unitary sound dampener is preferably inclusive of a suitable horizontal mounting bar 14 which may be of wood or metal and upon whose top side a strip of felt 15 is disposed. A rod 16 is secured to and depends from the middle of the bar 1%. A coiled spring 17 surrounds said rod. The upper end of this spring is seated in a cup 18 which presses against the bottom of the bar 14. The lower end of this spring is seated in a cup 19 which is carried by a plate 20. The plate 20 is seated at its ends upon two brackets 21 that are carried by the framework. This spring normally serves to press the sound dampener 15 against the bottoms of the sound producing bars 1. The sound dampener is maintained parallel with the rows of bars by means of two arms 22 which are connected with end portions of the bar 1% to carry it and which, themselves, are pivoted upon the framework The pedal 23 is provided upon a pedal lever 2%. This lever is pivoted upon an anchorage which is secured to the strut of the sub-framework 27 on which the frames and 6 are carried. The pedal lever A is connected to the sound dampening bar ll by means of linkage that is inclusive of the rod 16. This linkage is also inclusive of another rod 28 which is flexibly connected with the lower end of the rod 16. Rod 28 contains a turn buckle 29 by which its effective length may be varied to adjust the normal height of the pedal 23 from the floor. The sound dampening pressure of the spring 17 may be light and should be insufiicient to raise the ends of the bars engaged thereby to any material extent. The spring, being light, the foot pressure upon the pedal :23 may consequently be light to withdraw the sound dampener from the sound producing bars.

The pedal is depressed to withdraw the sound dampener as long as it is desired to have successively produced tones intermingle, but when it is desired to stop the intermingling of successively produced tones the pedal is released to permit the spring 17 to re-apply the sound dampener. The downward movement of the pedal is desirably limited by the floor, the range of movement of the pedal being regulated by the turn buckle 29 as is understood. The pedal desirably moves through a range of about of an inch.

An instrument of the class described and thus equipped with a device of my invention is permitted to produce long sustained tones for which this type of instrinnent is noted,

as in the playing of broken chords or arpeggios, when the sound dampener is withdrawn upon depression of the pedal. The duration of the intermingling tones being determined by the pedal controlled dampener as described. The successively produced tones and harmony changes may be played in proper tempo and without undesirable conflict of non-related tones.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A musical instrument including a horizontal row of vibrant horizontal bars each adapted, when set into vibration, to produce a tone of a musical scale differing from the tones produced by the others; a unitary sound dampener normally engaging all of said bars and in itself inclusive of a bar extending along the aforesaid row of bars; a frame carrying the aforesaid rows of bars; an arm structure pivoted upon said frame and connected with and carrying the bar of the sound dampener; a spring pressing upwardly upon the bar of the sound damperer; and means coupled with said bar for moving the sound dampener away from the sound producing bars against the force of the aforesaid spring.

2. A musical instrument including two adjacent horizontal rows of vibrant bars each adapted, when set into vibration, to produce a tone of a musical scale differing from the tones produced by the others in its row; a unitary sound dampener common to said rows of bars and normally engaging all of said bars and in itself inclusive of a bar extending along the aforesaid rows of bars; a frame carrying the aforesaid rows of bars; an arm structure pivoted upon said frame and connected with and carrying the bar of the sound dampener; a spring pressing upwardly upon the bar of the sound clampener; and means coupled with said bar for moving the sound dampener away from the sound producing bars against the force of the aforesaid spring.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

MURVIN L. JONES. 

